Machine for



UNITED STATES IJATENT OFFICE.

GEO. K. SNOV, OF VATERTOVN, MASSACHUSETTS.

MACHINE FOR AFFIXING POST-OFFICE STAMPS TO LETTERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 20,306, dated May 18, 1858; Ressued August 20, 1867, No. 2,737.

To all whom it 'may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE K. Snow, of lVatertown, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Machine for Atixing Postage- Stamps to Letters; and I do hereby declare that the same is fully described and represented in the following specification and the accompanying drawings, of which- Figure l, is a top view g Fig. 2, a side elevation, Fig. 3, a rear elevation; Fig. 4e, a front elevation; and Fig. 5, a vertical section of it.

The machine as exhibited in the drawings, is very eflicient in operation and calculated for use in post offices, or in merchants counting rooms, as well as elsewhere, particularly where it may be desirable to poststamp letters with expedition.

A, is a frame or table constructed with two standards B, B, for supporting the fulcrum shaft, a, of a hand lever, C. It is also made with a rising or ledge D, and two depressing or sunken spaces E, F. The space, E, is to contain an elastic bed or cushion, G, made of vulcanized india rubber or other suitable material, while the space F, is to hold a sponge or other absorbent substance wet with water or a liquid. These spaces as well as the gage or ledge D are to be arranged with reference to the standards B, B, as shown in the drawing. The said lever C, carries a platen, H, whose inner edge operates or is provided with a shear or cutting edge (l, or a means of causing another shear or cutter, I, arranged at the rear part of the elastic bed to operate or separate a postage stamp from a strip of such when placed between the bed and platen and the latter is forced down upon the former or a letter laid thereon.

On the shaft a, and so as to freely rotate thereon, is a feeding roller, K, furnished with an elastic periphery, such roller being placed directly over the table and provided with a ratchet L.

A spring pawl M, extends from the lever C, and works in the teeth of the ratchet. The lever C, may also carry a small drum or roller, N, which, when the machine is in use, may have a strip of postage stamps wound on it. A spring, O, projecting from the lever and bearing on the outer periphery of the wound strip serves to keep the drum from being revolved too fast while the machine is being used.

In order to prepare this machine for op eration, the strip of stamps should be led from the drum, N, downward against the rear edge of the feed roller and between such feed roller and the table as well as between two parallel guides or ledges, Z), arranged on and projecting above the table, as shown in Figs. l and 3. By raising the lever, C, the feed roller will be turned and made to cause the strip to advance over the shear or cutter, I, and upon the bed or cushion Gr. After the strip has been so moved far enough to bring the cutter directly between that postage stamp at the end of the strip and the second one, the machine will be ready for fixing the rst stamp to a letter.

The arrangement of the strip on the drum should be such as to cause its pasted or sized side to be uppermost when a postage stamp is lying on theelastic bed.

Such being the condition of things, the operator should take hold of the lever C, with his left hand while the letter to be post stamped should be held in his right hand, and with its superscribed face downward. Next, he should lay and press on the damp ing sponge of the recess, F, that part of the surface of the letter which is to receive the stamp. In this manner, he will wetsuch part of such surface,and prepare it for the reception of astamp. This having been done, he next should lay the \v`et`f.sui'faee on the postage stamp lying on the elastic bed,

taking care to bring the edge of the letter against the ledge or gage I). Next, with his left hand, he should bear the lever downward so as to press the letter upon 'the postage stamp and cause the latter to be cut from the strip and made to adhere to the letter. The next time, the lever is elevated, another postage stamp will be advanced to ward and upon the bed so as to prepare the machine for post-stamping another letter. A person after a little practice with this machine, will post-stamp letters very expeditiously.

I claim:

l. The combination of feedingmechanism, shearing or cutting mechanism, a platen and bed applied together, so as to constitute a machine for aflixing postage stamps to letters substantially as described.

2. I also claim the arrangement of the feeding mechanism, the platen andthe shear or shears with respect to the lever and the bed substantially as specified, whereby, by face or that part of a letter on which a 10 the reciprocating motions of the lever, restamp is to be affixed as described. suits will take place as set forth. Y In testimony whereof I have hereunto set Y3. I also claim the gage D, in combination my signature. with the bed 0r the table and the post stamping mechanism.

GEO. K. SNOW.

4. I also claim combining with the post Witnesses: f stamping apparatus, or, in one frame with It. H. EDDY,

it, a means of damping or wetting the surv F. P. HALE, J r.

[FIRST PRITED 1911.] 

